Tommy Chiu

A native of Hong Kong based in Boston, Dr. Tommy Chiu is a sought-after educator with more than a decade of international experience in brass pedagogy. His students across the country continue to find success in district and all-state auditions, as well as gain acceptance into youth orchestra programs such as the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and New England Conservatory Preparatory School, summer music programs such as Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Brevard Music Center, and Kinhaven Music School, and college music programs such as Boston University, Boston Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Michigan, and University of Southern California. Locally, he serves on the faculties of the Noble and Greenough School, Brimmer and May School, Dedham School of Music, Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. Beyond private instruction, he has also taught classes and led rehearsals at schools from elementary through college, including Boston Public Schools, Dedham Public Schools, Newton Country Day School, South Shore Conservatory, Brandeis University, Wellesley College, and the University of Rhode Island.

As a soloist, Dr. Chiu has shared the stage with the University of British Columbia Chamber Orchestra, Boston University Wind Ensemble, Boston University Trombone Choir, and the Brookline Community Band, and is a frequent recitalist in the Greater Boston area, with past performances recorded by local television stations such as Access Framingham and Dedham TV. As an orchestral musician, he is Principal Trombone of the Boston Civic Symphony, and has appeared with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Symphony, and The Chorus of Westerly Festival Orchestra, among others. During the summer season, he has also served as an artist fellow at the Atlantic Music Festival and the PRISMA Festival & Academy, and presented at the International Graduate Music Conference hosted by the University of Calgary.

Dr. Chiu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Brass Performance from Boston University, where he was a recipient of the Brass Department Award. His primary teachers include Toby Oft of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Colin Williams of the New York Philharmonic, Jarod Vermette of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Don Lucas, and Gabriel Rice.

My teaching philosophy centers on nurturing each student's unique musical voice through strong fundamentals, thoughtful practice habits, and a healthy relationship with music-making, empowering them to become confident and independent learners both in music and beyond.